The half-orc and halfling threads -- particularly some specific responses in those threads -- have me thinking about what the purpose of having a menageries of PC races or heritages is in the game. Why 3 (elf, dwarf, halfling) or 6 (elf, dwarf, halfling, half-elf, half-orc, gnome) or 30 (I think that's the current number, if you include MotM)?
Is it having vibrant diversity among the player characters? Is it to have a diverse list of special abilities available to the players? Is it for story/fiction? Or is it for the "game stuff"? And how do those answers relate to the proliferation of races (that every edition has seen, btw)?
In my experience as a GM, it is (unsurprisingly) a mix of reasons. Not just either or, but sometimes both. I know some "power gamers" that pick a race based on the mechanical benefits, but then use that mechanical choice to create a compelling character with a cool personal story.
What do you think? Why do you like -- or not -- a variety of choices?
NOTE: I am not really talking about "culture" in this post, though some people will consider culture and race/heritage interchangeable. I think that is better left to a different discussion, so as not to muddy the waters.